Hitachi 60VX915 Review

Hitachi's 60VX915 60-inch television uses LCD technology and includes two NTSC tuners, an integrated ATSC tuner and supports the new CableCARD specification.

Summary

Going into this review, I had not been a fan of rear projection LCD.  In fact, I think that for the most part it is inferior to other Micro-Display technologies.  The examples from other manufacturers are dim at best with poor contrast and terrible brightness levels.  So, to say that I was pleasantly surprised by Hitachi’s achievement is an understatement.  Clearly, Hitachi knows how to exploit this technology to its utmost, and I applaud them for it.  I am happy to report that the images displayed were among the best presently available from any HDTV manufacturer. 

 

So, if you want to experience true High Definition television and watch DVD movies featuring sharp and crisp color images, look no further than the Hitachi 60VX915.  Hitachi’s HDTV sets offer the consumer "state-of-the-art" technology with a terrific feature package in a very stylish and handsome cabinetry giving the look and feel of plasma, but without any of its detractors.  It’s a set for today and tomorrow featuring an integrated HDTV tuner, QAM HD cable tuner, and CableCARD.  By including both HDMI and 1394, this set won’t become obsolete for many years to come.   If a 60-in. wide HDTV is not right for you, the 60VX915 has two siblings in the 915 Director’s CineForm series.  There’s a larger 70-in. wide model (70VX915), and a smaller 50-in. wide sibling (50VX915) with identical features and performance characteristics.

 

The 60VX915 may not be in retail stores as of this review date, keep a look out for it.

Introduction

 

Hitachi has long been considered a progressive and innovative television company.  It now looks to embrace the future of high definition television by offering widescreen TVs designed to take full advantage of the burgeoning HD signals.  While other companies are embracing Texas Instruments’ new Micro-Display DLP (Digital Light Processing) technology, Hitachi has gone down a different path pioneering rear projection LCD technology.  The company now offers a complete line of 2^nd generation models (11) designed to take full advantage of this technology.  Unlike its leading brand-name competitors, who also features rear projection LCD TVs, Hitachi has produced a stunning example of this technology that can compete with the best HDTV models currently available in all types of display technologies.

 

Unique Features

 

Hitachi‘s new UltraVision CineForm Director’s Series television is the 60VX915, which is a 60-in. widescreen integrated rear projection LCD HDTV model.  While including twin NTSC tuners and an integrated ATSC tuner (for over-the-air HD broadcasts), this model also includes a QAM HD cable tuner that allows it to receive unscrambled HD signals from your local cable provider (without using a set-top box).  As an industry innovator, Hitachi was also the first manufacturer to integrate Cable HD QAM tuners into their integrated HDTV sets allowing for the reception of “in-the-clear” high definition signals.  As well, it is a DCR (Digital Cable Ready) model featuring the new CableCARD slot.  As you may be aware, CableCARD eliminates the need for a digital cable set-top box to receive premium HDTV channels from your local cable company.

 

This impressive HDTV set utilizes LCD technology and Hitachi’s Dual Focus Light Engine, which uses proprietary technology to get the most out of its rear projection design.  Capable of producing more than 1 billion colors accurately, the Dual Focus Light Engine has been engineered with 10-bit color performance and a whopping 25-Element Lens for image accuracy.  Unlike other rear projection LCD sets from market-leading brands, Hitachi has improved the entire light engine so that there is brighter picture performance overall.  This is because of a sharp focusing technique employed that improves the stream of illumination along the complete light path with very little light loss.  Hitachi has also included special filters and polarizers that produce even brighter whites and considerably darker blacks (sounds like a laundry detergent commercial doesn’t’ it, but its true).   As well, there is no screen-door effect that is found on other rear projection LCD sets.

 

Image courtesy of Hitachi

Installation/Ease of Use

 

One of the best parts of the 60VX915 is its ATSC/QAM tuner.   Simply plug in your incoming signal cable (from your off-air antenna or cable company) into Antenna A, which feeds the signals directly into the high definition tuner.  Within the set-up menu’s Channel Manager, simply tell it how you receive your signals — via antenna or cable.  Then, at the touch of a button on your remote, it automatically programs all receivable HD and standard definition channels in your area both over-the-air and in-the-clear cable    

 

As we mentioned, the 60VX915 is CableCARD-enabled.  You should be aware, however, that you cannot do pay-per-view (PPPV) and video on demand (VOD) via your remote on a CableCARD-enabled television.   It took CableVision (my cable company in Westchester County, NY) two weeks to send a technician to the house to bring the CableCARD.  For some reason (my guess is so that they can charge an extra fee), CableCARD must be professionally-installed by the Cable Company.  It looks a lot like a satellite access card.  Even though it looks similar, it has additional circuitry built-in to it.  Installation of a CableCARD can take between one and four hours (according to the installer).  While it’s a simple matter of slipping the CableCARD into the set, it takes several minutes for the TV to recognize the CableCARD.  Once recognized by the TV, a screen pops up giving the model number and serial number of the CableCARD.  Then, the technician had to call CableVision headquarters on Long Island, NY to activate the card.  Since the cable company doesn’t’ seem enthused about DCR TVs, this part of the installation can take awhile.  It seems that they only have two people (in the entire company) who can activate CableCARD.  So, this person had to call the installer back. 

 

Fortunately, it didn’t take very long for her to return his call.  Then, the technician had to give her model numbers for the TV and CableCARD as well as serial numbers and other numbers that appeared on-screen.  This information had to be keyed into CableVision’s central computer for it to ‘activate’ the card.  Presumably, a specific signal can be sent via fiber optic to the individualized CableCARD.  Fortunately for me, the activation took about an hour allowing me to receive all of the HD programming available (as long as I pay for the packages).   So, the CableCARD costs an additional $1.25/mo. along with Digital I/O service (required) @ $9.95/mo.  With the CableCARD in place it allows me to receive CBS-HD, NBC-HD, FOX-HD, ABC-HD, UPN-HD, WB-HD, and two PBS-HD (Channels 13 and 21 in NYC) as well as premium stations like HBO-HD, ShowtimeHD, DiscoveryHD, ESPN-HD and etc..  If a particular local station also offers multicasting as do the PBS and ABC channels in NY, for example, you will also receive them. 

 

Housed in a finely crafted high gloss black cabinet featuring black trim around the screen, the 60VX915 gives the appearance of a plasma TV from the front.  This was done on purpose by Hitachi to give the set a familial look and feel to its Micro-Display HDTVs.  And with a reduced depth of under 20 inches, this set can be placed into your own cabinet or onto its optional two-shelf base that is big enough to store all of your gear including a center channel speaker.

NTSC images are enhanced through the use of a digital 4MB 3D-Y/C comb filter, which helps reduce artifacts and dot crawl that are found in the NTSC signal.  Other key video enhancement features include: a Virtual HD 1080p Video Processor, video noise reduction, Digital Color Management II, Adjustable Color Decoder, and adjustable color temperature control.  All of these video enhancement features can be turned off or on as needed (via the supplied remotes).  Combined together, this stunning example of HDTV prowess is capable of processing 480i/480p/540p/ 720p/1080i signals by using its 3:2 progressive scan film correction, 26-point motion adaptive video processing; while displaying those images to an upconverted 1080i (by its Virtual HD mode for non-HD sources) resolution.  HD sources broadcast at 720p are displayed at their native 720p resolution.  Overall, the set is capable of displaying 1280 lines of horizontal resolution, and features several widescreen fill modes.

 

The 60VX915 features an internal 40-watt 3-way Bass Reflex speaker system along with a Dolby Digital 5.1 surround decoder.  Other aural processing includes SRS Surround Sound and BBE Sound Enhancement designed to improve aural quality from source components attached to the television or non-HD programming (not broadcast in Dolby Digital).  Of course, the entire speaker and amplification can be turned into one center channel speaker if desired, which may be appealing to some folks.  Internal audio quality was better than average.

 

Convenience features include dual tuner Picture-in-Picture, simple to use and intuitive on-screen menus and displays in three languages (English, French & Spanish).  To make life easier, the set comes with two remotes